


little too late (and i regret it)

by svntn



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: 150184 months later i decided to tag it properly even tho im scum and like to keep everything vague, Angst, M/M, WonHui if you really squint, i dumbly used western funeral methods within a korean setting rip me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-15
Updated: 2015-11-15
Packaged: 2018-05-01 17:12:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5214107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/svntn/pseuds/svntn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Wonwoo accepted to house sitting and pet sitting for Mingyu, he thought nothing bad could come of it. The universe thought otherwise.</p><p>Writing Prompt { 154: Write a story about someone who is both house-sitting and pet sitting. }</p>
            </blockquote>





	little too late (and i regret it)

Wonwoo thought his agreeing to house-sitting and pet-sitting for his best friend, Mingyu, was just his way of coping with his mother’s passing away. She was a homemaker, though whenever he called it that she would give him that look and raise a non-committal hand to the boy, taking care of her family every day with not a single complaint (at least none that Wonwoo had heard). So his logic of taking care of an empty house apartment, because Mingyu was single as hell and a house was beyond his reach, and some unknown pet that Mingyu had acquired while Wonwoo was out of town, seemed like an appropriate way of getting back into the life grind.

The male glanced down at the watch on his wrist, noting the 2:46 displayed on the digital screen. When he had called the latter earlier in the week he had said he would pick him at 2:30, but then again when was Mingyu Kim ever punctual. Before Wonwoo could even make a noise of annoyance, the devil himself sounded the horn of his vehicle from outside. Wonwoo gathered his things off the family room’s floor; it was almost as if Mingyu knew he was thought about. The male quickly made his way out and into a Ford where Mingyu met Wonwoo with a cheeky smile and nod of the head. It irked him how carefree Mingyu could be, especially when the male needed to be on plane in a little under an hour.

“What happened?” Wonwoo began as he buckled up, Mingyu pulling back onto the road. “Lose track of time or got stuck on the phone with your mom?” There was a moment of silence as the words resonated in the enclosed space. Mingyu glanced from the corner of his eye at Wonwoo as he checked for any signs of an oncoming “emo” moment before he responded.

“No and no…” Mingyu retorted, a smirk forming. “I was giving my new resident the ‘be nice to your babysitter while daddy is away’ speech.” The latter could only give Mingyu a look of disgust upon hearing “daddy,” who did Mingyu think he was honestly. Wonwoo rolled his eyes.

“Why the hell did you get a pet anyway? Was the single life becoming too lonely for you?” A very quick and unexpected punch to the shoulder jolted Wonwoo after his statement. The attacked laughed at the action, doubling over slightly as he leaned against the car door.

“Yah! It’s not my fault, okay?” Mingyu said with a smile still evident on his face nonetheless. “Rejection from your best friend hits hard, okay? I’m still not over it.” He spoke with a hint of hurt now lingering in his tone. Typically, Wonwoo would have felt bad for his best friend but in this case, he was the one who had rejected Mingyu – or rather, he left him hanging. In short, Mingyu decided that he needed to tell Wonwoo that he loved him while he was a sobbing mess over his dead mother while in the backseat of his cousin’s Impala. At the time, he thought Mingyu was just a moron but now, he did not have the heart to bring the topic back up.

“So you got yourself a forced partner?”

“Wonwoo Jeon, I will turn this car around.”

 

“You could have told me it was a fucking dog!” Wonwoo yelled over the phone with his free hand fending off a Pomeranian Husky with a broom, the small pup only nipping at the bristles and growling. Mingyu laughed over the line, which Wonwoo could only imagine the younger getting odd looks for doing so.

"It’s like, the size of your hand, Wonwoo.”

“It’s still a dog, Mingyu!” Wonwoo exclaimed as he grabbed a chair out from under the table, climbing onto it. If Mingyu had actually been there, he would definitely be killing over from laughter. Hell, he was embarrassed just in the presence of a dog.

“A dog, may I add whose name is Mimi, which can barely jump up a single stair.” Mingyu defended. The pup barked up at Wonwoo.

“I’m going to kill you once you get back.”

"Yea, yeah, love you too.”

“What did you just-“

“I have to go! Have fun you two!~” Mingyu sang before hanging up. Wonwoo scoffed at his phone then sat it down on the table, resuming his little battle with Mimi. (If you could really call it that.) The puppy had its front legs up on the lowest support of the chair, looking up at Wonwoo with its small tongue hanging out. The male gently poked at its head with the broom and earned a growl in response.

“Look here you little beast, there will be no growling in this house, got it?” Wonwoo said as he prodded the animal with his index finger this time. Mimi nipped at his finger in response, earning the pup a glare from Wonwoo. It was there and then that he knew the next few days was going to be a battle.

After perching on a chair and staring at Mimi for half an hour, Wonwoo finally manned up and moved off the furniture. Mimi quickly jumped at Wonwoo’s leg that may or may not have drawn a scream out of the male. He was afraid of dogs, even if they were 1/16 his size. Mingyu had told him there was a list on the counter somewhere with instructions to take care of the beast, as well as anything else he needed. Not that Wonwoo had spent enough time at Mingyu’s apartment. It was pretty much his second home when he did not want to be in a house filled with four other people and some college freshman Mingyu pawned off on them.

“Mimi gets feed twice a day, water must be filtered and set out before she receives food, and pads are in the closet…” Wonwoo muttered, his hand feeling around inside a cupboard for these precious dishes. When did the younger even have time to write down all this nonsense much less take care of a puppy for the last two weeks? Who kept a dog on such a tight feeding and potty schedule anyway? What was this nonsense?! Wonwoo looked down at his feet where Mimi was sitting at; looking up at him anxiously as if she knew he was getting her food.

It was not hard finding the pup’s precious dishes as Mimi had grown tired of waiting for Wonwoo and bolted into the cupboard space he was currently looking through. The pup came back into view nudging the very pink stacked dishes toward Wonwoo’s hand then yipped at him in what he assumed was a very sassy bark. Seungkwan and Mimi would have gotten along just perfectly, Wonwoo thought while filling up the dishes with their respected item. Of course, he did what Mingyu instructed, water bowl first then food. It did not make sense to Wonwoo honestly but he did it anyway. After setting down the food, he walked off to the living space, fell onto the micro-plush sofa with a thump, and exhausted sigh. Only an hour of being a sitter and he felt like he just worked a morning shift at Starbuck’s. The next few days were going to be a bigger hassle than Wonwoo had first assumed.

 

“You’re alive!” Mingyu’s voice yelled over the speaker of his phone. Wonwoo could only groan in response as he rubbed his face, leaning half of his body down to place Mimi’s water dish on the kitchen floor. It was only day four of seven but to Wonwoo it felt like half a year. Dog-sitting was so so so much easier on tv, he thought. “Is everything okay, though? You sound dea-.”

“Yes, I am.” Wonwoo cut him off, leaning his head against the island counter. He could feel an ensuing headache come on. It was only noon. “I haven’t been able to sleep knowing this little beast was sleeping on the pillow next to my head…Why the hell is that thing allowed to sleep in a bed?! It’s not even a human! She doesn’t need to!”

“I’m lonely, remember?” Wonwoo could not help but chuckle at his friend’s response. However, the response only reminded Wonwoo he still needed to talk to Mingyu about his moronic confession. “She hasn’t attempted to murder you in your sleep. It’s fine.” Mimi pawed at Wonwoo’s socked foot then attempted to tug the fabric. If not the fact he has spent the last ninety-six hours, with the beast, Wonwoo would have run screaming but he just swept his foot to the side, removing the pup from his limb.

“She has plenty time to still kill me.”

“The worst she could do it lay over your mouth or nose while sleeping.”

“Don’t give her ideas!” Wonwoo exclaimed as he picked up his phone, turned it off the speaker and walked into Mingyu’s room, straight to the bed. “I saw her give me looks when I was in the bathroom yesterday. I swear.”

“She was probably checking you out.” Mingyu said, “I know I’ve done the same.” Wonwoo choked on his saliva, jerking his body up from Mingyu’s comforter. He would be lying if he said his face was not flushing the same deep red as Mimi’s collar. Just how many times, no, how long had Mingyu been checking him out? He made a mental note to close the door next time he was over with the latter…or not.

“Sorry, what?” There was a brief pause of silence as Wonwoo listened to Mingyu mumble to himself in what seemed to be an intense argument, over what he could not figure out. A wide grin was on Wonwoo’s face, though maybe, just maybe, he thought the habit of Mingyu’s was cute.

“What have you been doing to my house?” Mingyu changed the subject with a clearing of his throat. “It’s not trashed, right?”

“Totally trashed.” Wonwoo replied with a chuckle. At some point, Mimi had managed her way onto the bed and Wonwoo’s chest, nuzzling her head against the fabric of his jersey jumper. His hand habitually went to pet the pup’s miniature body. Maybe he had grown to like the little beast, but he would not openly admit that to anyone.

“Wonwoo!”

“I’m joking, god.” Mimi barked in agreement, or so Wonwoo hoped. “It’s cleaner than when you left. And since when did you have black sheets?” That morning, when Wonwoo had stripped the bed for cleaning, he spotted the sheets amongst the linens and grew curious about their story of getting into Mingyu’s possession. Black sheets meant something sensual, right?

“Uh…”

“Uh?”

“Oh look at the time. I have to go to a planning meeting!” Wonwoo’s brows furrowed in amusement as he heard the evident panic in Mingyu’s voice, and there was no way in hell he had a planning meeting at eight in the morning. “I’ll call back soon. Love you, bye!” With that, a dead silence hung through the Kim apartment – minus the breathing of Mimi maybe. Wonwoo laid there with a dumb grin on his face. The newly constant reminder of “I love you” was becoming nicer than he thought. Sure, he thought Mingyu was a dumbass for confessing when he did but Wonwoo was not heartless. He had not said anything or shown any sign but he did like his moronic best friend just as much. It was also Mingyu’s own stupid decision to take Wonwoo’s silence on the topic as rejection. The second he would get back, Wonwoo decided, he would tell Mingyu. Meanwhile, he would occupy the remaining afternoon with staring at the ceiling fan and petting Mimi – with the occasional nip because she really was sassy as hell.

 

It was the last day he was on dog and house patrol. Wonwoo was sitting out on the front steps of the apartment building with Mimi perched in this lap, nibbling kibble out of Wonwoo’s hand. The pair was waiting for Mingyu’s arrival back home. They had bonded a lot over the days. She stopped nipping as long as Wonwoo did not call her a beast. Apparently, she understood his cruel nickname, which only seemed to amuse him. When Wonwoo would wake up in the middle of the night, damned nightmares related to his mother and her passing, Mimi would be there to nuzzle his cheek and fall back to sleep. If Mimi would whine when Wonwoo would come back from work or seeing friends, he knew she missed him (rather Mingyu but he felt better saying the prior) he would scoop the fur ball up and cuddle on the sofa or floor, whichever was more convenient to how he was feeling.

When he told Mingyu the prior night, he only whined about his baby replacing him. That only made Wonwoo laugh nonstop for five minutes. His jealousy was endearing, Wonwoo decided.

> _“I’m going to have to revoke visiting privileges when I get back tomorrow afternoon.” Mingyu said after Wonwoo finally stopped laughing for the umpteenth time. “I lost my best friend to my dog. What else could go wrong?”_
> 
> _“I run away with her and you never see us again?”_
> 
> _“That’s it! You aren’t allowed over anymore!”_

A small grin formed on Wonwoo’s lip as he thought about the talk, managing to persuade Mingyu to not ground the harmless pup. Mimi pawed at Wonwoo’s hand to signal his attention to her. Normally it was a sign that she wanted more food but this time she began to whimper.

“What’s wrong, Mimi?” Wonwoo asked softly as he gathered the pup into his hands and pouted back at her. “Are you really that hungry?” This time she pawed at Wonwoo’s cheek then barked. The male opened his mouth to talk but was cut off by the door attendant calling out for Wonwoo. He turned his body toward the elderly man, greeted by a mixed expression of sadness and worry. Before he could ask what was wrong the elder ducked his head. Not even seconds later, Wonwoo’s phone went off with a rush of texts from the gang. Confusion grew more as he tried to interpret the mass of text as they moved down his screen. What little warmth he had left in his body was drained when his eyes caught sight of two words, Mingyu and flight, before his phone dropped from his hand.

 

_Flight KAL908 malfunctioned and crash this afternoon when on-route to Incheon International Airport. At this moment, there is no reported cause of why the flight went down. Hundreds of South Korean and International travelers were reported deceased. No one survived…_

It had taken the door attendant and a phone call to Wonwoo’s friend, Junhui, to get him back inside the building. When Wonwoo’s mother had died, he had been silent up until it finally sank in then he had become a non-stop sobbing mess up until the funeral a week later when he couldn’t even shed another tear. Now, he was sitting silently on Mingyu’s sofa in Mingyu’s apartment with Mingyu’s dog sadly pawing at his limb hands in his lap. The pup had not left Wonwoo’s side since the news broke. Junhui came back into the space and placed a cup of tea on the table before Wonwoo before seating himself beside the other and wrapping an arm around Wonwoo’s shoulder. They sat silently as Mimi continued to paw and whimper at Wonwoo.

“Wonwoo?” Junhui’s quiet voice broke the silence finally. Wonwoo did not attempt to respond aside from an almost unnoticeable nudge of his shoulder against Junhui’s side. “Did…Did he talk you before he departed?” _Departed_. The word was a double-edged sword. It pierced Wonwoo in the heart but he knew what Junhui had meant.

“Yeah.” Wonwoo replied, his voice raspy despite having no reason for it to be.

“What did you two talk about?” Junhui curiously asked. Wonwoo was not sure where his Chinese friend was going with the conversation. But then again, it could have been some sort of weird method of comforting for all Wonwoo knew.

“We didn’t talk.” Wonwoo murmured, his hand finally moving to stroke Mimi’s head. “We did what we always did. Argue.” Mimi’s small nub of a tail wagged at the familiar motion of Wonwoo’s hand, taking a chance to nip at his fingers when she could. It brought a sense of familiarity to Wonwoo, something he needed so much at that moment that a small smile appeared on his face. “He whined about Mimi replacing him in my heart and I told him that he was being stupid but he continued anyway.” Junhui nodded his head to urge Wonwoo on. “I said if he kept whining like a child he was going to miss his flight and if that were to happened; I wouldn’t wait for him to come home and just bring Mimi back with me. Run away per say.” The pup barked up at Wonwoo. He was not sure if that was her way of agreeing or that he was being mean to her owner, nonetheless cute. “To which he said he was gonna go then and hung up with his new signature of ‘I love you.’” Wonwoo chuckled a bit and poked at Mimi’s bitty nose. “He’s such a brat…”

“Did you ever respond to his confession?” Junhui asked next as he leaned his head against Wonwoo’s shoulder. The asked shook his head then let out a heavy sigh. Junhui stopped asking questions after that, letting the silence hang over them again. Wonwoo let it happen, which he was thankful for because he just might have broken then, but he did not as he kept teasing Mimi.

 

It had taken a few days but Mingyu’s parents had received their son’s body and a funeral was progressing at a quick yet painfully, slow pace. Mingyu’s closest friends, yes, all twelve of them, assisted the Kim’s with preparations. Whether it be picking up flowers, clothing for the male to be dressed in ( granted no one would see him in them ), to even getting relatives from the airport. Junhui and Soonyoung remained by Wonwoo’s side during this time, helping him make decisions that the Kim’s could not make. It did not really surprise them that Wonwoo was still calm but there was still the lingering wonder of why has he not broken down. His best friend had just passed away in the most unlikely way and he still acted as if he had not. However, they did not press, as it was probably best considering the circumstances.

Wonwoo had taken Mimi under his care as he thought it was best for the puppy, plus she had grown on him too much to let her be taken back to the adoption center. He picked the puppy up and nuzzled her nose before carefully setting the animal on his head. She remained unmoving as he put her there. They were quite the pair and it was a cute sight as Junhui had said. Wonwoo fixed his black jacket, smoothed his dark washed jeans, and then adjusted his fringe, careful of not ruining the balance he and Mimi had created to keep her on his head. The male checked over his outfit again then sighed. One would have thought that considering he had been at a funeral only a few weeks prior he would have had the attire down but he did not. Granted Mingyu had been the one to help him dress for his mother’s funeral since the male had been invited. Mingyu was practically family, Wonwoo’s grandmother had even joked that Mingyu was her grandson at the funeral reception.

“Yoooo~ Wonwoo are you ready to go or nah?” A male poked his head into the male’s room, he tapped at his watch on his wrist, a playful expression of ‘we-got-to-go-we’re-late’ shown on his face.

“Shut up, Hansol.” Wonwoo said with a breathy chuckle as he fetched a small box off his bed then headed over to the other male. Hansol reached a hand up to pet Mimi before straightening back up.

“Don’t you need Mimi’s leash?” He asked, pointing to the horrendous pink thing on his dresser. “They said they would only allow her if you-.”

“She’s barely the size of a child’s head. What harm could she really do?” Wonwoo argued with a slightly arrogant grin. He was cheeky but only due to the fact that Wonwoo knew the priest by means of being raised in the church. One little incident would not harm a thing, he thought.

“Whatever man.” Hansol shrugged with a chuckle then made his way out, Wonwoo following behind him. The two joined the other ten formal clothed males sitting in Wonwoo’s living. During a typical gathering, the noise level would have been higher and the chaos would have been on a fine line of Wonwoo getting a noise complaint but today, the boys were hushed as they fidgeted with sleeve cuffs, hair fringe, or their cell phones. Once they noticed the two had entered they all gathered themselves and made their way out to the vehicle's waiting for them. Junhui instantly at Wonwoo’s side with a cheeky grin on his face and an arm slung over his shoulder. At least someone was willing to be happy virus on this day, Wonwoo thought.

The family had been seated first. Mingyu’s parents had asked if Wonwoo wanted to be seated with them but he kindly declined, as it had been better if he was around their friends. By the time everyone was seated, Mrs. Kim had started crying into her husband’s shoulder. For Wonwoo it was heart-wrenching seeing the sight, Mrs. Kim was just as much a mom to him as Wonwoo’s mother was to Mingyu, so he turned his attention to the front, a closed black casket before him. Call Wonwoo scatterbrained but the color only reminded him of his talk with Mingyu about the black sheets he had found. He had been told there was not going to be an open viewing. Part of him had wished there was but then again, who would have wanted to see what beyond the closed casket? He shuddered at the thought of what Mingyu looked like under the lid. With a quick glance away, he could see an array of floral arrangements, hidden amongst them was a portrait of Mingyu his company had taken. His hair was a natural brunet then, styled up and slightly to the side because “it looked hella professional” that way. He was in a light gray suit jacket, a white button up with a neutral blue tie around his neck. Topping it off was his signature canine showing grin that Wonwoo used to think was the dumbest thing he had seen but now, he wished he could have seen more of and at least one more last time.

“We're here today to remember Mingyu Kim...” The priest's voice resonated off the walls. Another sob came from Mrs. Kim as well as other family members. Wonwoo wanted to tune everything out but he knew that he could not even if he tried. The silent cries from others, including their friends, made him feel odd as he listened intensely to his surroundings with nothing but an indifferent expression.

During one of the gospel songs, Minghao, the newest addition to their circle, was tugging on Jisoo’s jacket sleeve, partially hiding his face on Jisoo’s shoulder to hide his tears. Wonwoo had always wondered how the quiet Minghao had befriended the loud-mouthed Mingyu so easily. Maybe Mingyu just had that thing where he could bring out even the shyest of people with a single “Hello, who are you?” It was just one of many reasons Wonwoo liked about Mingyu.

The service droned on, the accompaniment of gospel songs and verses as well as simple memories of who Mingyu Kim was. It ended an hour later and everyone was filing out, either sniffling into tissues and their sleeves, to head to the cemetery. Sometime during Amazing Grace congregation singing, Junhui had clasped hands with Wonwoo as a sign of support but for the Chinese male's own comfort. Wonwoo allowed it nonetheless.

“You two wanna ride with Jisoo or Mingyu’s parents?” Jeonghan asked as he came up beside them. “I was recruited into taking some arrangements so I'm down a row.” He spoke with a slight huff. The longhaired male ran a hand through his hair before Seungcheol joined them, instantly latching onto the other. Instinctively Jeonghan moved to push the annoying, clingy elder off him, in which Junhui and Wonwoo rolled their eyes at the motion.

“We can go with the Kim’s.” Junhui decided for the two, grinning a bit. Jeonghan glanced to Wonwoo for any sign of agreement but nodded anyway and told them they would see them soon then dragged a clingy, even puffier than normal eyed Seungcheol off to his car.

Somewhere between the church and Wonwoo and Mingyu’s old middle school, Wonwoo’s grasp on Junhui’s hand tightened. Was it a sign of everything sinking in, Junhui did not know (what he did know was the circulation in his hand was slightly cut off). Mimi was sleepily nuzzling against Wonwoo’s thigh, occasionally pawing at him in her sleep. How he wished he could be in Mimi’s place. A nap sounded amazing after his restless nights.

“Wonwoo sweetie.” The male looked up at Mrs. Kim who had turned a bit with a sad smile on her face. “I know how much Mingyu loved you.” Wonwoo flinched at the word, his heart squeezing a little at the feeling it brought. Past tense, meaning in the past, not the present, and definitely not the future. “We do not have much use for them… but if you want, you can come over later and pick up some old photos he had boxed up. You know he was never one to actually frame them.” A lighthearted chuckle came from the woman.

“I'd be honored.” A small grin played on his lips, “Would you mind if I did it tomorrow? I'm beat so I was going to-”

“Of course.” She cut off the male, her tone the normal, motherly sound. “You're always welcomed by too.” Wonwoo nodded, ceasing the conversation. He leaned his against Junhui’s shoulder, looking out at the road before them. The male he was resting on gave him a reassuring pat on his knee. Before he knew it, the cemetery’s gated entrance came into view, his stomaching dropping upon the sight. It was actually happening.

The Kim’s, Wonwoo, Junhui, and Mimi filed out of the car and straight towards the burial site, conversing with each other after the silent car ride. Junhui was happily sharing some experiences he has had in China with the two Kim’s while Wonwoo was resting his head against Mimi, who was laying over his shoulder, panting a bit. Exhaustion was taking over the male with each passing second. Hopefully, he thought, he would be able to sleep that night. Hopefully.

Directly in front of Mingyu’s casket was a row of chairs for his grandparents, parents and oddly enough for Wonwoo. The male sat beside Mrs. Kim, her hand going over Wonwoo’s to give him reassurance (not that Junhui’s hand on his shoulder and Mimi resting on his lap was enough). He wondered why he was included with those who succeeded Mingyu. That is what this row of lone chairs was for right? For those who succeeded his legacy? That is what had happened at his mother’s burial… A squeeze to his shoulder jolted Wonwoo from his endless thoughts. He looked up at Junhui who was looking at him while taking a very dramatic deep breath. It was then Wonwoo realized he was holding a breath. What was going on with him?

"Family and those closest to the deceased may now lay roses on the casket if they wish.” The priest said as the burial was coming to its end. Someone brought out a large vase with a couple dozen roses out beside the casket. The family members that were close to Mingyu had all gotten up to receive a rose, following them was all of the gang.

Minghao had not yet let go of Jisoo ( but still managed to pick out a rose ), Seungkwan and Hansol remaining close as they had long given up hiding their tears, and so on. Wonwoo had requested that he go last. They were all fine with it, a bit concerning but nonetheless okay. Junhui informed Wonwoo that he would wait for him by Jeonghan’s car once he was done. The male silently nodded his head then walked away from the twelve guys and off the end, where Wonwoo fell into conversation ( if you count him listening while the latter talked a conversation ) with Mingyu’s aunt he had met at Christmas last year.

It only took a few moments until Wonwoo was the only one left under the canopy. Any visitors Mingyu had were gone minus a few family members that were lingering. Who knew for what reason aside talking about tonight's dinner plans because ‘it's a family reunion and we should all get together while we can.’ To say the least that part always left Wonwoo with a bitter taste in his mouth.

The male settled down onto his knees, tapping the rose’s tip against the side of the black casket. Everything Wonwoo had wanted to say dissipated from his memory leaving him speechless as he examined the black surface. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat then coughed. Why everything went blank, he did not know. It was only Mingyu, except it was not. It did not settle properly within him.

His best friend, brother, and if he had not had waited, Mingyu could have been his actual other half. Mingyu came from Anyang to Changwon ( more specifically Seoul ) when they had first met. Wonwoo honestly had thought the guy was weird as hell and way too positive for having just moved across the country.  However, the Jeon’s and Kim’s began to invite each other for dinners, social gatherings, football games, to either of the boy's school activities ( aka Mingyu’s sport and art events ), and even for the holidays. The idiot grew on Wonwoo come the second year when Mingyu very cheese-like gifted Wonwoo one of the boy’s paintings. It was from one of the holidays when Wonwoo had kept as far of a distance from Mingyu as he could. Wonwoo was leaning against the bay window the Kim’s had, staring out at the night lost in his thoughts at that time. Mingyu had managed to capture the mood and moment so well that Wonwoo actually remembered what he had been thinking about last year. Maybe his impression of the Mingyu was wrong. Maybe Mingyu was not the ditz he had made him out to be. Since then he and the boy had become inseparable. They went to the same university and even after, lived in the same zip code after they graduated and got jobs. They spent every holiday together, went to the same gatherings with friends or co-workers, and on vacation together ( mainly due to their parents inviting them along ).

But his other half. It was not something he ever thought Mingyu would have been. Wonwoo had not had a proper relationship since university and Mingyu had a date almost every other week. Thinking back on it, though, he noticed all the signs his parents and Mingyu’s parents gave them. All the ‘They look really nice together’s at family gatherings. Why Wonwoo’s grandmother said Mingyu was practically her grandson because she saw Mingyu as her grandson-in-law. It all began to make sense.

All the opportunities Wonwoo had to change everything hit him like a train. He emitted a shaky sigh as he pressed his forehead against the box before him. Part of him had wished Mingyu continued to whine on the phone, then he would have missed his flight and none of this would have happened. Wonwoo’s vision began to blur, his eyes slowly closing. Mingyu would still be a brat that would be childish whenever Wonwoo or others told him ‘no’. They could be sitting in Mingyu’s apartment arguing and playing with Mimi. Built up tears slid down Wonwoo’s cheeks. It could have been prevented even before he had left the country. A small, choked noise left the male. Wonwoo could have finally told Mingyu that yes, he loved him too before he got out of the loser’s car so he would have been late for his departing flight, ( most likely from something cliché like Mingyu grabbing him and kissing him ) but he had not. He missed all the chances.

That’s when Wonwoo finally broke.

**Author's Note:**

> Also, there was a second part of the prompt that called "Use foreshadowing at the start of your story to forewarn and prepare the reader for a heartrending ending" which I failed at, because how-to-foreshadow a guide I need. High fives self.


End file.
